St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-01

was anxious to enforce the rule Of
excluding byStanders in scandalOus
cases in the morning as soon as
the jury was completed and he put the
question to the counsel, but Mr.. O'Brien
thought the public might be admitted.
The eX-mayOr didn't believe in allowing
young persons to be present at such
cases, but as he looked over those pres
ent he did not think the case would have
any demOralizing influence.
Miss Compston's story of the outrage
occupied long time.
''My name is Maud Compston. | was
twenty. years old last January. l came
from Chicago the latter part of last Au-
gust to visit my sister in Minneapolis. T
had weeks engagement at the West
Side opera house. | rOomed, l do not
remember on what street, Susan or
Congress. l first met the defendant
Monday morning Aug. 90, 1880; met
him at the table where we all boarded.
L was rOOming with my sister, who was
playing at the same theyter. | met him
at the rehearsal and talked to him the
same as to any other gentleman"
She then told of Reid'S first visit to
her i'll her room when he professed his
love for her and asked her to become
his wife.
He said: In eighteen months will
have fortune of $4,000 from my uncle:
Are you one of those women who when
man is in the gutter leave him there.
or would would you help him out of it?'
| said L would help any man, of course.
He said: In two weeks | can get di-
vOrce from my wife l said: Mr..
Reid, you are not in love with me, are
you? You have only known me three
days" He said: Yes, l loved you
from the first time | saw you. | said
right then, ''There is woman that will
be friend faithful to manu. He
asked me if would be his friend, and
he took my hand. l told him of course
L would be his friend.
''On Sunday came to my room and
sat down in the window to read. !
heard somebody coming up stairs. The
locked. Mr.. Reid came in and took a
chair about the middle of the room. We
were sitting facing each other, l in the
rocking chair in the window. He said
Come over here, | have something to
say to YOU | thought he could say it
just as well where he was. He said No
[ can't Then he took hold of my
hands and pulled me over to him."
At this point Mr.. Munn's question,
'Did he suggest anything IN his con-
duct that would lead you to anticipate
any improper attention on his part?''
was objected to by Mr.. O'Brien on the
ground that the prosecution had a the
DRY in anticipation of what it supposed
manufacture evidence by the witness,
and a little war of words took place,
without any alarming personalities,
however. Miss CompStOn proceeded:
''He took hold OF my hands and pulled
me right across the room in an instant.
He grabbed me
UP IN HIS ARMS.
''No, / never thought of anything
wrong. didn't think he meant any
harm to me. He took me and threw me
across the bed. Just then it flashed
upon my mind what he intended. / did
not remember anything until came to.
Then thought he was killing me. He
pressed his lips upon my mouth so hard,
and only took them off to let me gasp.
struggled and tried as hard as | could,
mouth down so hard. My feet were
hanging ON the side of the bed. He
said, ''Some ones coming" He got up,
took hold of my hands and pulled me
off the bed. | went to the other
side of the room. He came over to
me. l said: oh, my God, you'll mur-
der me; you'll ruin men | said he
would suffer for this. He said, Il can
shoot as we'll as Fred can, or something
like it-I don't remember what he did
say. He kept following me. He said,
Maud, you must clean up your
| said, oh, you'll suffer for
this | was reeling around the room,
nearly crazy and only half conscious.
Then he went away. Pretty soon he
came back with bundle, but he went
away again in a little while. laid
down upon the bed. In short time
my sister came in and l was crying"
Mrs CompStOn said that she didn't see
Reid again until he was under arrest.
She was then submitted to very cru
cial cross-examinatiOn by Mr.. O'Brien,
while his associate, Capt. Hart, of Min
made suggestions in his ear.
Mr.. O'Brien-YOu didn't cut him off
short. when he proposed marriage; you
gave him your hand?
Witness-I didn't give him any reason
to he hopeful; didn't think he was in
Mr.. O'Brien-Well, friendship is akin
to love, you know.
Witness-I didn't repulse him. Pm
ady with anybody always, | hope. L
1idn't think he was in earnest. He al
ways made a great deal out of very lit
lie, and l always thought he was queer
sort of man, and acted good deal even
when off the stage.
Mr.. O'Brien-Did yeu do anything to
,esist him Friday afternoon?
Witness-I didn't do anything at first
because | was unconscious. After I
came to l struggled as hard as l could
md tried TO push him away. The
earned counsel then INDUCED in a
yrangle that
GOT QUITE HEATED.
Mr.. O'Brien wanted to make an offer
o prove certain points on cross-eXami-
lation that had not appeared in the di-
'ect. The court directed that the
,ffer be submitted in writing, but
Mr.. O'Brien refused to do this
because he said he could not write a
land that any one could read, and
he had not time. Judge
Kelly said he considered this an impert-
nence, but Mr.. o'BrieD assured the
.ourt that it was gospel truth: He had
o keep typewriter to attend tOhis pri-
ate correspondence, because no one
Ould read his writing. At this the
ourt raped OH his desk, the audience
and one of the reporters re-
marked that for all practical purposes
). ID. O'Brien was dandy.
Mr.. O'Brien was so diSguSted with the
that he refused to ask any
more questions. 1t was brought out by
IL. Mum that the reason for the delay
n making the complaint was that Miss
mother was so feeble they
cared she could not endure it. Mrs.
fred B. Williams, sister of Maud
was the next witness. She
ave her testimony i'll soprano voice
hat was at times fierce. Her testi-
nony was as to the discovery of her
ister's condition and her feelings to-
ward Reid. She was very loquacious,
nd kept the lawyers worried until $50,
vhen court adjourned until this morn
ng at 10.